★ And the Journey Begins ★

One of my favorite tattoo design sketches, it is the best executed tattoo I have done yet.

Private diaries and journals never had an appeal to me. I would always lose them, or end up just using them as sketchbooks instead of written musings and reflections. Something about a digital interface, the vigorous "nak-nak-nak" at the keys, and the miniature dopamine rush of hitting publish on a blog post has been so much more appealing to me since adolescence, regardless if anybody sees it. I have been craving a space to just ramble on, and on in an unpolished fashion that just isn't found in the culture of popular social media. Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and etc. are all short-form and punchy, which I find there is a time and a place for. Podcasts, longform vlogs, and video essays are too formalized. I just want to senselessly ramble.

Make no mistake, while I love a good free-form writing exercise, this blog is not going to be every random thought I have on days I skip my Adderall. I want to balance out informality and intentionality in this blog, and treat it as a regular reflection on my plans, goals, and processes towards plunging back into the arts after leaving the world over a decade ago to be a special education teacher. In particular, I am aiming to document my process towards creating a new presence online and in my local community as an artist.

My current ambition is to create a complete tattoo apprentice portfolio, in order to acquire an apprenticeship at local shop. As I continue to write, I may find other ways to unify my social media presence, my tattoo pursuits, and any other little creative projects I find myself interested in. But for now, I just wanted an establishing post. :)

-Chloe